Polish Armed Forces evacuated the first group of 109 citizens from the Middle East to Poland on March 4, following escalating regional conflicts.
First Group Evacuated to Poland
At 03:00, Polish Air Force B737 aircraft safely transported 109 people to the country. The activity of the Polish Military Contingent in the Middle East was coordinated by the Operational Command of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Poland, and forces and resources were provided by the General Command of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Poland,” reported the Command on the X portal.
Collaboration and Coordination
The implementation of the evacuation was made possible through cooperation between the Polish Armed Forces, the National Security Bureau, the Prime Minister, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the Ministry of National Defense.
“The Polish Armed Forces once again confirmed their professionalism and readiness to provide assistance to citizens,” the statement read. “The Polish Armed Forces remain ready to carry out further tasks related to the evacuation of Polish citizens, and the situation in the region is being continuously monitored,” declared the Operational Command of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Poland in another post on X.
Transportation from UAE to Oman
As reported by Minister of Sport and Tourism Jakub Rutnicki, it was first necessary to ensure transportation from the United Arab Emirates to airports in Oman. Rutnicki praised the very good cooperation with the Polish Tourism Chamber. On Wednesday, March 4, 6 connections from Oman were planned.
“They departed yesterday at 5:40 and arrived today after 03:00. They traveled by bus from Dubai to Muscat in Oman, from where they returned to Poland in two Polish Air Force aircraft under medical transport. Everything took place under the reliable care of employees of Polish posts @PLinEmirates and @PLinSaudiArabia, with the support of @DowOperSZ and the authorities of the UAE and Oman. Thank you!” wrote the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on X.
Official Statements and Safety
During Thursday’s press conference, MSZ spokesman Maciej Wewiór conveyed that the ministry currently has no information that any Polish citizen has suffered as a result of military actions in the Middle East. He explained that during the journey from the UAE to Oman, Polish citizens were accompanied by Polish consuls.
Civilian Evacuation
On Wednesday evening, the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs reported that 11 civilian aircraft arrived in Poland, carrying 2,263 passengers who returned from the Middle East. LOT is launching return flights from Sri Lanka and the Maldives. Meanwhile, airline Etihad Airways announced on Friday the resumption of a limited number of connections from Abu Dhabi, including to key European cities. From March 6, aircraft will fly, among others, to Frankfurt, London, Madrid, Milan, Paris, Rome, and Zurich.
Regional Conflict Impact
The escalation of conflict with Iran since last weekend has led to massive flight cancellations and temporary closure of airspace by many countries. As a result, tens of thousands of tourists and people using connecting airports in the Persian Gulf are stranded in the Middle East.